Spring Cleaning the Freezers - 52 days on £70

Cherryfudge · 3 March 2018 at 12:20PM

XSpender wrote: »

I made 3 columns on a couple of pages of an A4 pad and headed them meat, vegetables and fruit, bread, pudding etc. And went through the drawers in the 2 freezers one by one. I did one freezer one day and one the next. It didn't take that long really, the cupboards were harder as I kept remembering other places where stuff was stored.

DS has requested pancakes for breakfast which won't make any inroads into the cereal mountain

I will be the same with cupboards - things like the box with packets in are not in the main food cupboards at all and somehow get overlooked.

I did manage a freezer inventory a while ago but haven't kept it up to date. I am taking a bit more active notice of what's in there (though DS's quorn mountain dominates) so I've noted the sausagemeat that needs to be defrosted and made into sausage plait (probably) and some bacon that could go in the next casserole or chicken pie.

I had a look at your cereal mountain which I think currently stands as

GF porridge
Value porridge (1kg)
Weetabix (60!)
Sugar puffs
Moana cereal
Honey hoop cereal

though I think there was mention of using some of the g/f porridge and also Weetabix cake? I am completely stumped as to how to use the sugar puffs, Moana cereal and honey loops apart from in a bowl with milk. I do find my family don't touch anything that they think has been there a while, so backlogs of cereal can be a problem.

Perhaps some inventive reader can find a use for them?

XSpender · 3 March 2018 at 1:02PM

The GF porridge oats are eaten by me and I have made some into museli to use up some of the coconut flakes, raisins and nuts. I've also made flapjack and have used my dinner allowance to buy more twice since I started the challenge.

DH is using the normal oats on his plan. The Weetabix were for him too as DS doesn't like them. He did offer to eat the sugar puffs but as he is on a diet plan now I don't think this will happen for a while.

The other cereal is DS's (7) who no longer likes these types. The only thing I can think do to with them is to melt the chocolate Santa and make them into crispy buns.

DH has finished the frozen salmon we had and I picked some up at asda yesterday on a YS but it doesn't seem to have gone through the till.

Tonight DS and I are having enchiladas which will us up chicken, GF wraps and passata. Tomorrow we will have sausages and chips with frozen veg and gravy. I will whip up some little jam sponges for our pud.

I've still got flapjack to make too and maybe a chocolate cake as we may have friends pop in after a dog walk tomorrow.

Cherryfudge · 3 March 2018 at 2:46PM

I like the chocolate Santa idea!

I'm trying to imagine crunched up cereal incorporated into crumble topping: it might just work?

A bit of googling ('Sugar Puff recipe') seems to indicate other people have had this issue and come up with solutions! Also this little thread on our very own MSE made me laugh.

hex2 · 3 March 2018 at 8:40PM

I think the risk with the cereal is that you end up wasting more materials trying to use up things to make stuff that isn't that nice like me and my indifferent flapjack muesli. Maybe try a small portion as crispy cakes and see what he thinks? You could do melted marshmallows for the sugar puffs but they are still essentially sugar puffs.

I made lime curd, and used it for the middle layer of a coconut and lime slice. Baking again, whoops.

Cherryfudge · 3 March 2018 at 11:07PM

hex2 wrote: »

I think the risk with the cereal is that you end up wasting more materials trying to use up things to make stuff that isn't that nice like me and my indifferent flapjack muesli. Maybe try a small portion as crispy cakes and see what he thinks? You could do melted marshmallows for the sugar puffs but they are still essentially sugar puffs.

True. Whoever invented sugar puffs? It must have been someone with a dog because they invariably get on the floor and stick to your shoes, but a dog would hoover them up...

Could the flapjacks be rescued with a layer of chocolate, or is that a waste of chocolate?

hex2 wrote: »

I made lime curd, and used it for the middle layer of a coconut and lime slice. Baking again, whoops.

Lime curd - drool! I adore lime. This thread is seriously bad for my waistline. The dates I was using up in date slices have now been supplemented by two more packets because they are too good not to make again and well, the dates were on offer. Please don't ban me for being such a failure at using stuff up!

Erm... is there a recipe for the coconut and lime slice please?

XSpender · 4 March 2018 at 9:35AM

The coconut and lime slice sounds delicious.

I actually love sugar puffs but can't eat them because of the gluten or they would have been gone in days

I may give the sugar puffs to my friend for her 2 girls and the hoops may be a bit past it but will turn these into cakes using some of the chocolate. The moanas I will mix into his other cereal to get rid of them.

It's snowing again today so I have time to do baking.

[Deleted User] · 4 March 2018 at 12:21PM

Just caught up with this - you are doing so amazing. I myself am doing a £7 pw grocery/store cupboard challenge this month - it's just me though and a few days ago did a fridge/freezer inventory. I haven't done the cupboards or pantry, but seeing your list, I think its the way to go. Someone mentioned further up a recipe for houmous with 'roasted jar pepper' - I do a very similar version and it's really tasty, as good as the shops, in my opinion.
1 can chickpeas
1 roasted (jar) pepper
some minced garlic
tpsp of peanut butter (or less) - blitz

I normally add a shake of something like paprika. Not sure if it is SW friendly, but tastes really nice.

I notice you don't have any embarrassing stores - I've noticed a couple of tins of 'brussel sprouts' lurking at the back of my cupboard - did I just say that out loud - what was I thinking. Might be ok thrown in2 a stew !!!!! Anyway, best of luck.

joedenise · 4 March 2018 at 2:23PM

Save_Dosh wrote: »

Just caught up with this - you are doing so amazing. I myself am doing a £7 pw grocery/store cupboard challenge this month - it's just me though and a few days ago did a fridge/freezer inventory. I haven't done the cupboards or pantry, but seeing your list, I think its the way to go. Someone mentioned further up a recipe for houmous with 'roasted jar pepper' - I do a very similar version and it's really tasty, as good as the shops, in my opinion.
1 can chickpeas
1 roasted (jar) pepper
some minced garlic
tpsp of peanut butter (or less) - blitz

I normally add a shake of something like paprika. Not sure if it is SW friendly, but tastes really nice.

I notice you don't have any embarrassing stores - I've noticed a couple of tins of 'brussel sprouts' lurking at the back of my cupboard - did I just say that out loud - what was I thinking. Might be ok thrown in2 a stew !!!!! Anyway, best of luck.

That recipe wouldn't be too bad for SW as 1 tsp of peanut butter is only 1.5 syns so that would be all the syns in the whole lot so negligable per serving (unless very greedy!).

Denise

Suffolk_lass · 5 March 2018 at 8:44PM

All this talk about secret stashes of food stores we all forget about made me think of the forum member with so many toilet rolls she had used them to insulate her loft.... be very afraid of hoarding - or paying the supermarkets to store their stock, as I try to think of it

purpleivy · 5 March 2018 at 9:59PM

Frustration! I"m trying to work my way through the freezer of things that we don't have in the regular rotation, so trying to get them used. Parents here for a visit. I think 'oh, got some bags of diced mutton, will make a suet pudding, they like it and Mum wouldn't do it just for the two of them'. So I get out the mutton and make the pudding. On to cook. Then later I went to my freezer list and I couldn't cross the mutton off, cos it wasn't on! Now the leftovers have gone in and there was too much filling, so there will be a second box with the stew in it. So the freezer is fuller than it was! Still, another couple of meals I shan't have to cook.

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Spring Cleaning the Freezers - 52 days on £70

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